Hatya, a Telugu language film released in 2025, is a political crime thriller written and directed by Srividya Basava. The film is inspired by the real incident of the assassination of famous Andhra Pradesh politician Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, which is presented on screen with a fictional twist. The story of the film revolves around a mysterious political murder where the powerful leader Dharmendra Reddy is killed. The investigation of this case is handed over to honest police officer Sudha Rao by Chief Minister Kiran Reddy, who vows to get to the bottom of this complex case.
Actors like Dhanya Balakrishna, Ravi Varma, and Pooja Ramachandran have played important roles in the film. The film starts with some impressive scenes that engage the audience with the story, but as the film progresses, the pace slows down and there is some confusion in the plot. Though some of the twists and investigation scenes are interesting, the film needed better editing and tightening of the story to make it more impactful. Hatya is a mediocre murder mystery that fails to live up to its subject’s full potential.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Hathya |
| Language | Telugu |
| Genre | Political Crime Thriller |
| Director | Srividya Basawa |
| Writer | Srividya Basawa |
| Producer | S Prashanth Reddy |
| Main Cast | Dhanya Balakrishna, Ravi Varma, Pooja Ramachandran, Bindu Chandramouli, Srikanth Iyengar |
| Cinematography | Abhiraj Rajendran Nair |
| Editor | Anil Kumar P |
| Music Director | Naresh Kumaran P |
| Production Company | Mahaakaal Pictures |
| Based On | Loosely based on the real-life murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy |
| Release Date | January 24, 2025 |
| Running Time | 148 minutes |
| Country | India |
| OTT Release | Not officially announced (as of now) |
| IMDb/Rating Source | 123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5 |
Hathya Story
‘Hatya’ is a political crime thriller based on the murder of Andhra Pradesh’s prominent leader YS Vivekananda Reddy. The film begins with a heartbreaking murder – influential leader Dharamendra Reddy (Ravi Varma) is brutally murdered in his own house. This incident becomes a political challenge for Chief Minister Kiran Reddy (Bharath Reddy) as Dharmendra is his uncle.
To get to the bottom of the murder, the Chief Minister forms a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and appoints honest and smart police officer Sudha Rao (Dhanya Balakrishna) to lead it. As Sudha furthers the investigation, many hidden secrets and conspiracies are revealed.
The film takes one twist after another and it becomes clear that the murder is not just due to a family property dispute but also political and personal animosities. Sudha not only has to fight professional challenges in this case, but she also has to face many difficulties on a personal level.
‘Hatya’ is not just a murder mystery, but a story of power, greed, politics and human emotions. The film highlights all those aspects that are hidden in the corridors of power and which have a deep impact on the common man’s life.
This is the central point of the story – will Sudha be able to uncover the truth of this murder or will this case also be suppressed under political pressure?
Movie Review
After watching the film ‘Hatya’, many viewers had the same reaction – “IMDB ratings can no longer be trusted.” The film had a rating of 7.1 on IMDB, which raised expectations that it would be a good murder mystery. But in reality, many viewers found the film disappointing.
The biggest complaint was – too many characters and everyone’s name being “Reddy” made it difficult to understand the story. The audience was repeatedly confused about who was talking about whom. This confusion weakens the grip of the story.
Sudha Rao’s character played by Dhanya Balakrishna seemed very melodramatic. A reviewer clearly wrote that, “Dhanya should avoid playing such characters, she is better suited for roles where the heroine’s friend is the main character.” Especially the scene in a senior officer’s office seemed very artificial and uncomfortable.
However, Ravi Verma’s performance was appreciated to some extent. The character of Dharmendra Reddy played by him seemed a little connected to reality. But this could not save the film completely.
The story has too many characters and side plots that don’t make much sense. This makes the film feel like a serial, where an attempt has been made to add a new twist in each episode.
On the other hand, some viewers also liked the film. A viewer Vayu Kumar wrote, “What a great movie, a great commentary on politics and fame. The direction and the acting of the lead actors are superb.” He called it a “mind blowing thriller” and said it is definitely worth watching.
But amidst these positive comments, the negative reactions outweigh. Especially when a viewer says “It’s a waste of time,” it is understandable that the film could not impress everyone.
Overall, ‘Hattya’ is an interesting and sensitive issue based film, but its treatment, screenplay and casting do not live up to the expectations of the audience. An attempt was made to bring depth to the film, but it turned out to be confusing.
This film may only be liked by those viewers who are interested in complex murder mysteries with a political backdrop, and who don’t mind too many characters and a slow story.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
‘Hatya’ is a crime thriller based on a political background, which is inspired by a real incident. The film does have some good twists and investigation scenes, but due to the looseness of the screenplay, too many characters and boring scenes, the film fails to keep the audience engaged till the end. Dhanya Balakrishna’s performance does not live up to expectations, while Ravi Varma looks somewhat okay. If the film had a little more tightness and clarity, it could have been a better thriller. Overall, the film gives an average experience.